


A Familiar Stranger

by DualWieldingCousland (DualWieldingMama)



Series: The Other Regan [25]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-04-30 21:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5180504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DualWieldingMama/pseuds/DualWieldingCousland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new arrival sneaks into Skyhold while the Inquisitor and her friends are out facing imminent danger against Corypheus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Familiar Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> This one totally has nothing from Inquisition included. But that’s OK. We’ll get back to Inquisitor Trevelyan and Cullen in the next one.  
> So, yeah ... this branches a bit away from canon (because this particular person is hardly mentioned and NEVER seen in Inquisition, but you know what? I don't care)  
> This is one of the shortest things I've written, and I suppose it's fitting, since it doesn't actually involve either Regan Trevelyan or Cullen.

Maker, it felt like she’d been riding for days.  Oh, wait, she had been; it had been weeks … months since she’d left her destination.  She’d been on her way home, finally, after more than two long years away from her husband before a letter reached her enroute to Denerim.  How this Josephine person had managed to find her, she didn’t know.  Her husband had a difficult enough time finding ways to reach her and that was with having at least a vague idea where she was heading.  Even Stroud had a near impossible time getting messages to her.  His last had arrived several months prior and had hinted about rather dark dealings in the ranks of the southern wardens.  She was worried, wondered who this Warden-Commander Clarel was, what she was like if she was willing to make deals with Tevinter magisters, summon demons through blood magic … and why hadn’t she heard anything further from Stroud?  It wasn’t like him to not follow up.

And the message itself was just as curious as the delivery.  It hadn’t said much – just a rather formal request to detour to a place called Skyhold.  It said something about wardens, and a darkspawn magister, and Orlais … and Ferelden; most importantly, it mentioned King Alistair.  That was what convinced her to turn her horse toward Skyhold.  If Alistair was going to be there and not Denerim, then that’s where she needed to be.  Ferelden had managed well enough for two years without its queen; it could manage another few days.

It was still dark as she guided her horse along the stone bridge toward the large gate, wondering if this was actually some sort of elaborate trap.  It wouldn’t be the first time she’d ridden into one.  But it would be the first time she rode into one alone; she’d sent her companions back to their respective homes … the ones that still had homes, anyway.  Her beloved mabari, Jasper, had fallen during their quest.  She had given him a proper warrior’s funeral pyre and carried a pouch of his ashes with her.    

There were few guards out; not surprising considering the remote location and lateness of the hour, and one quietly directed her toward the stables, not even bothering to ask her name.  She wondered, briefly, if he had recognized her … if any of the guards had before realizing it was probably next to impossible.  Even if the guards were from Ferelden, she’d been away for years.  She was sure her appearance had changed in that time, even without the extra precautions that she had taken.  

Her once long hair had been sloppily cut short, the back barely reaching past the top of her neck, slightly longer in front.  She wore simple leather armor, eschewing the traditional warden armor for something less attention-grabbing.  If one looked close enough, they would find the warden’s gryphon emblem, the Cousland laurel, & the Theirin shield on various pouches at her belt; those were her only clues to her identity.  Everything was currently hidden beneath a large blue and silver hooded cloak – the only other hint she was a warden.  Her blades were strapped to her horse’s side, not fitting well beneath the cloak the way it was currently worn.

Once her mount was stabled … next to a rather large animal that looked rather like a scaled horse, she sought out one of the guards, blades carried at her side.  “Excuse me.  As I’m pretty sure it is frowned upon for guests to parade around the keep wielding weaponry, where might I be permitted to store these?”  She had to give the guard credit; he didn’t flinch or even look remotely surprised when she brandished the pair of practically glowing silver and purple blades.  

“All guests are permitted to store their personal weapons in their chambers,” he replied, eyeing the daggers carefully; they looked … expensive.  “I can show you to a free room, if you’re just arriving, ma’am.”  It wouldn’t be the first time a guest showed up in the middle of the night, though she didn’t quite look like the normal dignitaries that came to Skyhold.  But he was fairly certain that those blades didn’t belong to a refugee; she was likely nobility of some sort.  She certainly didn’t speak like a common villager.

“Thank you, ser.”  She followed as he led her through several doors, finally arriving at an empty room.  “Do you know if the king of Ferelden has arrived?”  She tried to sound relaxed, unconcerned … but was pretty sure she failed miserably.

“No ma’am.  I … am not certain when he is due to arrive.  I am sorry”

“Tis alright, ser; it was but idle curiosity.  Besides, I’m sure he and his wife would prefer their schedules remain … unknown.”  She smiled faintly, trying to hide the fact that she was disappointed.  She wanted to see him again, badly.  “Could you tell me where I might find Lady Josephine once morning comes?  I would not consider waking her at this hour.”

He gave her rather clear directions to an office just off the main hall before excusing himself.  She had to be impressed with the way he had handled an unknown arrival, though the lack of security in the keep itself concerned her, especially if her husband would be visiting soon.  Perhaps she should speak with this Lady Montilyet about that.  She would search the woman out, and explore the keep … in the morning.  But for the first time in she couldn’t remember how long, Regan Cousland Theirin could finally rest in a comfortable bed.  Now, if only Alistair were there, it would be a perfect night.


End file.
